Recipe: This Bright, Tangy Larb Is Nat Thaipun’s All-Time Favourite Thai Dish

“Side dishes in Thailand aren’t just an afterthought – they’re an integral part of the meal,” writes Masterchef 2024 winner Nat Thaipun in her debut cookbook, Thai: Anywhere and Everywhere. And few meals capture that spirit better than larb.

“Larb is hands-down my favourite Thai dish and probably the one I eat most often,” Thaipun writes. “As long as you have khao khua (ground toasted rice), you can essentially make it with anything.”

Thaipun says that larb – originally from Laos and now closely associated with Isaan in Thailand’s north-east – is known for its bold, spicy and tangy flavours. It’s a punchy and refreshing mix of minced meat (or fish, tofu or mushroom), fresh herbs, lime, fish sauce and crunchy toasted rice.

Serve it, as Thaipun suggests, with sticky rice and crisp vegetables – or spoon it into lettuce cups or rice wafers “like a tartare” for another take on this beloved Thai staple.

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Base larb by Nat Thaipun

Serves 2–4

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

3 tbsp stock (optional)

300g minced (ground) chicken (or pork, fish, tofu or mushroom)

2 shallots, thinly sliced (or substitute with red onion)

2 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped

2 tbsp mint, chopped

2 spring onions, finely sliced

1 tbsp khao khua (ground toasted rice)

Dressing

3 tbsp fish sauce (or soy sauce)

3 tbsp lime juice (or lemon)

2 tsp prik pon (toasted chilli flakes)

1 tbsp sugar

To serve

Sticky rice

Raw vegetables (cabbage, snake or green beans, cucumber)

Thai basil

Method

Heat a frying pan over a medium heat. Add about 3 tbsp of water or stock and cook the minced meat until browned, breaking it up as it cooks. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.

To make the dressing, in a bowl, mix together the fish sauce, lime juice, toasted chilli flakes and sugar. Adjust to taste, balancing the saltiness, tanginess and spiciness.

Add the cooked meat to the dressing along with the shallots, coriander, mint and spring onions. Mix well. Sprinkle the ground toasted rice over the mixture and toss to combine evenly.

Serve warm or at room temperature with sticky rice, raw vegetables such as cabbage, snake or green beans, cucumber and Thai basil.

Variations

Larb hed (mushroom larb): Substitute 200g roughly chopped mushrooms for the protein.

Larb pla (fish larb): Steam or gently poach 200g of white fish fillets, finely chop and use in place of the minced meat. Fish larb has a delicate flavour and is often paired with less spicy dressings to allow the freshness of the fish to shine.

Tofu larb: Use 200g firm tofu, crumbled, in place of the meat. Cook the crumbled tofu with a bit of stock or water until slightly browned. Vegetarian larb can also be made with soy sauce instead of fish sauce for seasoning.

Larb ped (duck larb): Slice leftover roast duck super thinly and mix with the dressing and other ingredients. Duck larb has a rich flavour and is often served with extra mint leaves for freshness.

This is an edited extract from Thai: Anywhere and Everywhere by Nat Thaipun (Hardie Grant Books, $50). Available in stores nationally.